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Have you ever met someone so hungry that they are willing to do just about anything? Well, we know when someone says that, they are often referring to it metaphorically. However, in the wild, animals have no choice. They must do whatever it takes to survive. It’s not like they can just pop by the local grocery store. They have to hunt for food. And when food is not available where they are, then they have to go searching for that food. Let’s see just how far this polar bear was willing to go in search of sustenance.
Polar Bear Sighting in the Arctic
The short YouTube video clip shown at the top of this blog post takes us to the Arctic. This is where a polar bear is seen scaling the side of a cliff in search of food. The Jungle Journey YouTube page filmed and shared this video on their site. This channel is dedicated to sharing the educational side of animals in the wild. Their most recent content is of African wild dogs, elephants, and a horse that needed rescuing!
Polar Bear Scaling Cliff in Search for Food
As this video starts out, we see a massive polar bear out hunting for food. He was not able to find any in the territory he resides in. So, he is off on a trek to find prey elsewhere. The narrator shares that in front of this polar bear is a 300-meter (984-foot) cliff. Where this might scare the typical predator, the polar bear is not your average hunter.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, “The mighty polar bear can swim six miles an hour for 60 miles without rest.” With this stamina, an almost 1,000-foot cliff is of no concern to this polar bear.
After he scaled the side of this cliff he saw a group of walruses that are gathered in a huddle. This might look like a buffet just waiting for this polar bear to eat. However, the hunt is not over yet. He must find a way to get one of these walruses away. This group is too big for him to attack alone.
He quickly decides to pass this buffet up as he sees birds flying above. And where there are birds, there are nests. And where there are nests, there are bird eggs to eat. He then begins the long journey straight up this cliff to get whatever food he can find, no matter how small.
Do Walruses Live in Large Groups?
The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large mammal that is found in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. Walruses live in large groups that are referred to as herds. They congregate by the hundreds, where they will sunbathe. However, Live Science adds, “During mating season, walruses amass by the thousands.”
With a herd this size, it’s no wonder this polar bear wanted to pass this opportunity up. The polar bear also had to consider that each of these walruses had the potential to weigh up to 3,800 pounds. And he only weighed up to 1,300 pounds, which leaves him the odd bear out.
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